Gang connector assembly for telephone cable terminal board

ABSTRACT

A gang connector assembly readily telescoped over the front of a telephone cable terminal board to make a separate connection to each terminal strip of the board. For this purpose the connector has a separate, resilient, conductive strip positioned to have multi-pronged wiping contact with each wire terminal strip carried by a terminal board. Additionally the connector is equipped with one or more pairs of manually adjustable clamps engageable with the opposite sides of a terminal board structure to clamp it in its installed position and readily released when the servicing operation has been completed.

D United States Patent 1191 1111 3,710,046

Anderson 51 Jan. 9, 1973 s41 GANG CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR 3,012,10312/1961 Dougherty ..339/150 B x TELEPHONE CABLE TERMINAL 1,685,847l0/l928 Huntington ..339/151 B x BOARD 1,615,219 1/1927 Franfield.339/151 B x 2,104,434 l/l938 McCormick et al ..179/96 [75] Inventor:Karl R. Anderson, Pasadena, Calif.

[73] Assignees: John T. Thompson, Los Angeles; Primary ine H- 0- JonesGeorge W. Gillemont, Santa Attorney-William Douglas Sellers et al.Monica, Calif. 22 Filed: Nov. 18,1971 [57] ABSTRACT A an connectorassembl readil telesco ed over 21 A 1.N .1199941 g g Y Y P 1 PP 2 thefront of a telephone cable terminal board to make a separate connectionto each terminal strip of the W 9/ board. For this purpose the connectorhas a separate,

339/ 150 B resilient, conductive strip positioned to have multi- [51]Int. Cl. ..H0lll 13/70 pronged wiping Contact with each wire terminalStrip [58] held of Search" 179/175 96; 339/{5l [50 carried by a terminalboard. Additionally the connec- 200/51 R tor is equipped with one ormore pairs of manually adjustable clamps engageable with the oppositesides of [56] References C'ted a terminal board structure to clamp it inits installed UNITED STATES PATENTS position and readily released whenthe servicing operation has been completed. 3,509,297 4/1970 King..200/51 R 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 2 if: HH/ L z 4 50 as E E 26\ EDcg 40 a? g g PATENT Elma 9 ma SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR M64 8 AJDEESON BY 2Z O C :2; Z G O D D D D 7 E 7 8 5 L a a w w w a 3 GANG CONNECTORASSEMBLY FOR TELEPHONE CABLE TERMINAL BOARD This invention relates tomulti-conductor gang connector assembles, and more particularly to animproved gang connector readily telescoped over the front face of oneconventional type of telephone cable terminal board and includingprovision for selectively connecting each cable conductor to testing orother servicing equipment.

One conventional type of telephone cable terminal board in wide usepresents unusual and peculiar servicing problems. This is due to thespecial construction of the board and the fact that the line protectordevices are arranged in two rows between outwardly projecting pairs ofresilient fingers having their inner ends anchored to the base of theboard. The two rows of fingers and the line protectors supported thereinare separated from one another by a divisional partition furthercomplicating the problem of providing gang connector means capable ofbeing coupled to these strips in gang fashion to provide reliable,positive electrical connections. Additionally, there is a lack of rigidstructure engageable by the gang connector assembly and to which thelatter assembly may be temporarily anchored while checking and testingoperations are in progress.

Owing to the foregoing problems it has been customary and necessary forservice personnel to manually manipulate test probes and hold theseprobes in contact with individual terminal strips of this type ofterminal board while other personnel operate test equipment and receiveoral advices from the probe operators as to which cable conductors arethen ready for test. Needless to say this is a laborious time-consumingoperation requiring a minimum of two operators and preferably additionalliaison crew members to relay operating information and to monitor andsupervise the test work.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide animproved, rugged, highly reliable gang connector assembly connectable asa unit to any selected terminal board of a central office main frame andfirmly clampable thereto by a limited number of readily operated clamps.The gang connector is then connected by flexible service or patchcabling to the test equipment and embodies simple easily operatedcontactor switches for connecting and disconnecting each cable conductorindividually to the test equipment. For these purposes the gangconnector assembly includes a rigid main body having reciprocable pairsof contactors operable to separately connect the test equipment to eachof any selected pair of cable conductors. Access is also provided to anyselected pair of ring and tip conductors in circuit with central officeequipment and the line protector devices. These contactors are movableinto and out of contact with individual resilient contactor strips onefree end of which has multiple sharp edged teeth positioned to cutthrough any foreign matter or coating present on a respective terminalstrip of the terminal board. To facilitate assembly of the connector tothe board, the rear of the gang connector is provided with a guidechannel mating snugly over the outer edge of the terminal boardpartition dividing the rows of terminal stripsfrom one another. Thisassures the accurate telescopic assembly of the connector over the frontof the terminal board following which pairs of clamps along either sideof the gang connector are adjusted to pivot clamping jaws intoengagement with relatively strong and rigid portions of the terminalboard,

Accordingly it is a primary object of this invention to provide animproved simple, rugged gang connector assembly designed for telescopicassembly over the front of a telephone cable terminal board of the typehaving line protector devices mounted between the outstretched ends ofthe line protector mounting strips.

1 Another object of the invention is the provision of a gang connectorassembly having rows of resilient curvate contactors having sharplyserrated outer ends positioned to slidingly engage juxtaposed terminalstrips of a telephone cable terminal board and which gang connector isequipped with means selectively operable to separately connect a cableconductor and the corresponding central office conductor to conductorservicing equipment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a gang connectorassembly having rows of resilient fingers projecting from its rearwardface between pairs of adjustable clamping jaws operable to clamp theassembly firmly in place over the front of a telephone cable terminalboard.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention gang connector assembly secured in place over the front of aterminal board;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 on FIG. 1 withparts broken away to show internal constructional details;

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary view taken along line 2a- 211 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view taken along broken line 3-3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view partly in section and taken generally along line4-4 on FIG. 1 showing a typical pair of contactors held out of contactwith the associated resilient contact strips; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a single one of theresilient contactors and the associated terminal strip of the terminalboard.

Referring initially more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the gangconnector assembly, designated generally 10, is shown telescoped overthe front and clamped to a multi-pair terminal board 11 of a well knownconventional type. The terminal board there shown serves 50 pairs ofcable conductors all of which terminate on two rows of terminal stripends arranged along one side of the terminal board (FIG. 2). Terminalboard 11 has a long main body comprising a divider partition mounted onbrackets 14 clamped by cap screws 15 to a T-shaped terminal board. Theother end 170 of the tip terminal comprises a long, resilient striphaving its outer end diverging away from one side of partition 13 and infirm contact with one end of a well known type of line protector device19 having its other end connected to and supported by the end of thelonger one of a pair of terminal strips 17b. The shorter one of theterminal strips 17b crosses the rear side of the terminal board and isconnected at 17c to a tip wire extending to switch gear in the centraloffice as is well known to persons skilled in telephone facilities.

The incoming cable ring wire of each cable pair is connected to end 18of a terminal strip which crosses the rear side of the terminal boardand its free end 18a flares outwardly away from the opposite side ofpartition 13 similarly to the outer end 17a of the tip terminal strip. Atip line protector device 20 is supported between the outer end ofresilient terminal strip 18a and the longer one of a pair of strips 18b.The shorter one 18c of these strips is connected at 180 to the centraloffice ring conductor.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that all of the incoming pairsof ring and tip wires are arranged along one side of the board and thatthe protectors 19 for the tip wires are likewise arranged along thissame side of the board, whereas the ring protectors 20 are arranged in arow along the opposite side of the board and of partition 13.

All of the terminal strips are rigidly anchored to partition 13 by meansof through bolts 21 which are held out of contact with the terminalsthemselves by plaques and sleeves of insulation material22 usingtechniques well known to this art. Since the construction of telephonecable terminal boards is well known and forms no part of the presentinvention, further details of this structure need not be described.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be understood that gangconnector assembly is generally rectangular in cross section and extendsthe full length of terminal board 11. The shoe includes separatecontactors for making individual contact with each of the 50 pairs ofincoming wires and to the connection of these wires to the centralstation equipment. The hollow rigid main body 25 of the assembly issuitably constructed of nonconductive material and includes a broad rearbase 26. Clamping strips 27 of insulation serve to anchor separate rowsof contactor strips 29,30 of resilient conductive material to the rearof the assembly. Each of these highly resilient strips terminates in aU-shaped portion 29a,30a, the free end 29b,30b of which has a pluralityof sharp edged serrations 290,30c, best shown in FIG. 5. Theseserrations are positioned to wipe across and dig through any coating,oxide, or the like, present on the adjacent end of terminal strips17a,18a as the assembly is telescoped into its installed position overthe front ofa terminal board. As is best shown in FIG. 4, the inneredges 32 of the contactor anchor strips 27 are rounded and terminateclosely beside the adjacent lateral edges of the terminal boardpartition 13 and cooperate with the rounded bight portion 29a,30a of thecontactor strips in guiding the gang connector into assembiy positionastride the forward edge of partition 13. The opposite lateral faces ofthis partition are formed of insulation material and provide back upmeans for the longer legs for the U-shaped portions of the contactors29,30 as the latter are forced forwardly into the V-shaped gaps betweenthe opposite faces of the partition and the two rows of strips Rigidlysecured to each of the clamping strips 27 is a bracket 35 extending thefull length of the connector assembly and at intervals therealong thereis secured by screws 36, a mounting bracket 37 for a clamping jaw 38.These jaws are pivotally supported on pins 39 in brackets 37 and areequipped at their outer ends with thumbscrews 40 bearing against thebase of brackets 37 to pivot the inner ends of the jaws against theopposite sides of the terminal strips 17b,18b respectively of theterminal board. Preferably the inner ends of the clamping jaws arefitted with non-conductive strips 42 positioned to seat against ends17d,18d of the terminal strips. It will therefore be recognized thatgang connector 10 is clamped in place by tightening thumbscrews 40 alongits opposite sides so as to pivot the inner ends of the clamping jaws 38into firm seating engagement with seat 17d,18d and that it can bereleased for withdrawal from the terminal board by loosening thumbscrews40. The jaws then can pivot outwardly away from the terminal board underthe urging of the leag springs 43.

The main body 25 of the gang connector encloses a separate pair ofreciprocally supported metallic contactors 45,46 (FIGS. 2 and 4)supported directly opposite one another along the opposite sides of thegang connector with their outer end extending through base 26 inposition to contact a respective one of the strips 29,30. Contactors45,46 are urged outwardly by encircling compression springs 47 havingone end bearing against a shouldered rivet 48 and the other end bearingagainst a strip of insulation material 49 suitably anchored to theinterior of the gang connector. The large head of the shouldered rivets49 holds a strip of insulation material 50 loosely captive against theside of the contactors 45,46. The upper edge of strips 50 is providedwith a pair of cammed notches 51 ,52.

When strips 50 are shifted to the left as to the position shown in FIG.2, the shanks of rivets 48 seat in the deeper end of notches 51,52thereby allowing the contactors 45,46 to be pressed outwardly by springs47 to their extended position wherein they seat firmly against contactstrips 29,30 to make electrical contact therewith. However, when strips50 are shifted to the left as viewed in FIG. 2, the inclined portions ofnotches 51,52 underride the shouldered rivets 48 and lift each of theassociated contactor pins 45,46 upwardly out of contact with strips29,30.

It will be observed from FIGS. 1 and 2 that strips 50 project beyond theopposite lateral sides of the gang connector, and that the left handend, as viewed in FIG. 2, has an outwardly projecting stop tang 55engageable with the side of the housing thereby limiting the movement ofthe strip to the right. Movement of the strip to the left is limited bythe deep end of the notches 51,52 engaging the side of rivets 48.

The inner ends of each of the contactors 45,46 is connected by insulatedwires to a separate terminal pin 61 of any suitable separable cableconnector, male half 62 of which is secured to the exterior side wall ofthe gang connector housing. A patching cable, not shown, having a matingcoupling provided with female sockets for pins 61 is readily connectableto connector 62 and having its other end connected to suitableinstrumentation commonly used to test and perform servicing operationson terminal board 11.

It will be understood that the gang connector assembly is connected toany selected one of the terminal boards 11 in the manner described indetail above. Thereafter any suitable patching cable, not shown, isconnected between the test equipment and connectors 62 of the connectorassembly. The operating strips 50 of the gang connector are thenoperated individually and shifted to the right or to the left enablingthe operator of the test equipment to check the tip and ring wires ofeach pair of cable conductors individually and in turn in a manner wellknown by those familiar with telephone cable test equipment. During theassembly of the gang connector to the terminal board the roundedsurfaces 32 of the inner ends of clamping strips 27,27 guide the gangconnector into position aided by the rounded advance ends 29a,30a of thecontactor strips. These U-shaped ends are highly resilient and theserrated ends 290 are hardened and sharpened so as to dig into theadjacent ends of terminal strips l7a,l8a as the gang connector istelescoped into its installed position on the terminal board. A coatingoxide, or other foreign material on the terminal strip l7a,l8a isreadily penetrated by the serrated edges 29c thereby assuring multiplefirm electrical contacts. As will be recognized the operation of controlstrips 50 for each pair of contactor pins 45,46 enables the testoperator to make and break contact with any selected pair of cableconductors and with any related pair of central office conduc tors atany time without disturbing the position of the gang connector assembly.

While the particular gang connector assembly for telephone cableterminal board herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable ofattaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated,it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations areintended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other thanas defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A gang connector assembly adapted to make simultaneous contact with amultiplicity of terminal strips arranged in separate rows along eitherside of a telephone terminal board, said connector assembly having anelongated main body reciprocally supporting two rows of contactors, tworows of resilient conductive strips having curled free ends extendingalong one exterior side of said main body with a portion of eachpositioned in the path of movement of a respective one of saidreciprocal contactors, the free ends of said resilient strips beingpositioned to have wiping contact with the rear face of a juxtaposedconductive strip attached to a respective one of the terminal strips onsaid terminal board as said connector assembly is shifted bodily towardthe front of said terminal board, and means carried by said main bodyand including manually adjustable means for clamping said connectorassembly to said terminal board with each of said resilient strips infirm contact with a related adjacent one of said terminal strips.

2. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatthe free ends of said resilient strips in said two rows face away fromone another and toward the adjacent surface of a respective one of saidterminal strips.

3. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatthe free ends of said resilient strips is provided with a plurality ofhardened sharp pointed edges adapted to scratch and cut through poorlyconductive surface conditions on said terminal strips as said connectorassembly is being telescoped into assembled position along the front ofa terminal board.

4. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatsaid means for clamping said connector assembly to a terminal boardcomprises jaw means mounted along the opposite lateral sides of saidmain body and including pivoting clamping jaw means thereon engageablewith juxtaposed surfaces along the opposite lateral sides of a terminalboard and effective to hold said connector assembly releasably in placethereon with each of said resilient strips in contact with a respectiveone of said terminal strips.

5. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatthe rear face of said main body facing toward the front of said terminalboard includes abutment means positioned to engage a fixed front portionof a terminal board and cooperating therewith to position said resilientstrips accurately opposite a respective one of said terminal strips.

6. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatthe rear side of said connector assembly is channeled between said tworows of said terminal strips and sized to telescope over the front edgeof partition meansprojecting outwardly along the front of said terminalboard thereby to position said connector assembly accurately betweensaid rows of terminal strips.

7. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatsaid clamping means includes a plurality of pairs of pivotally supportedciamping members with the clamping members of each pair mounted on saidmain body along the opposite side thereof.

8. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 7 characterized in theprovision of spring means effective to urge said clamping members awayfrom one another, and thumb screw means for pivoting said clampingmembers toward one another and into engagement with juxtaposed portionsof the opposite lateral sides of a terminal board.

9. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatsaid resilient strips are U-shaped with one leg secured to said mainbody and the other leg having an outturned tang at the free end thereof,said tang having a plurality of sharp edges positioned to bite into thesurface of a juxtaposed one of the terminal strips of said terminalboard as said connector assembly is moved bodily toward and against thefront of a terminal board.

1. A gang connector assembly adapted to make simultaneous contact with amultiplicity of terminal strips arranged in separate rows along eitherside of a telephone terminal board, said connector assembly having anelongated main body reciprocally supporting two rows of contactors, tworows of resilient conductive strips having curled free ends extendingalong one exterior side of said main body with a portion of eachpositioned in the path of movement of a respective one of saidreciprocal contactors, the free ends of said resilient strips beingpositioned to have wiping contact with the rear face of a juxtaposedconductive strip attached to a respective one of the terminal strips onsaid terminal board as said connector assembly is shifted bodily towardthe front of said terminal board, and means carried by said main bodyand including manually adjustable means for clamping said connectorassembly to said terminal board with each of said resilient strips infirm contact with a related adjacent one of said terminal strips.
 2. Agang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that thefree ends of said resilient strips in said two rows face away from oneanother and toward the adjacent surface of a respective one of saidterminal strips.
 3. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1characterized in that the free ends of said resilient strips is providedwith a plurality of hardened sharp pointed edges adapted to scratch andcut through poorly conductive surface conditions on said terminal stripsas said connector assembly is being telescoped into assembled positionalong the front of a terminal board.
 4. A gang connector assembly asdefined in claim 1 characterized in that said means for clamping saidconnector assembly to a terminal board comprises jaw means mounted alongthe opposite lateral sides of said main body and including pivotingclamping jaw means thereon engageable with juxtaposed surfaces along theopposite lateral sides of a terminal board and effective to hold saidconnector assembly releasably in place thereon with each of saidresilient strips in contact with a respective one of said terminalstrips.
 5. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterizedin that the rear face of said main body facing toward the front of saidterminal board includes abutment means positioned to engage a fixedfront portion of a terminal board and cooperating therewith to positionsaid resilient strips accurately opposite a respective one of saidterminal strips.
 6. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1characterized in that the rear side of said connector assembly ischanneled between said two rows of said terminal strips and sized totelescope over the front edge of partition means projecting outwardlyalong the front of said terminal board thereby to position saidconnector assembly accurately between said Rows of terminal strips.
 7. Agang connector assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that saidclamping means includes a plurality of pairs of pivotally supportedclamping members with the clamping members of each pair mounted on saidmain body along the opposite side thereof.
 8. A gang connector assemblyas defined in claim 7 characterized in the provision of spring meanseffective to urge said clamping members away from one another, and thumbscrew means for pivoting said clamping members toward one another andinto engagement with juxtaposed portions of the opposite lateral sidesof a terminal board.
 9. A gang connector assembly as defined in claim 1characterized in that said resilient strips are U-shaped with one legsecured to said main body and the other leg having an outturned tang atthe free end thereof, said tang having a plurality of sharp edgespositioned to bite into the surface of a juxtaposed one of the terminalstrips of said terminal board as said connector assembly is moved bodilytoward and against the front of a terminal board.